I have A function that automatically uses A printer name and prints data without opening printer Dialog.
I want to be able to keep the printer name as A resource or A file in case the printer is not exist anymore or it's name has been modified, and to keep the updated name for the next run of the application
my question is:
What is the best practice doing that?
I'm currently keep the printer name as A const string 'PRINTER_NAME'
The code :
private void print_DefaultNum_Print(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
bool isSent_ok = true;
// device-dependent string, need a FormFeed?
string s = "!U1 getvar " + "device.unique_id";
// Allow the user to select a printer.
PrintDialog pd = new PrintDialog();
pd.PrinterSettings = new PrinterSettings();
pd.PrinterSettings.PrinterName = PRINTER_NAME;
for (int i = 0; i < DEFAULT_NUM_COPIES && isSent_ok; i++)// send # of copies
{
isSent_ok = RawPrinterHelper.SendStringToPrinter(pd.PrinterSettings.PrinterName, deviceName);
if (isSent_ok == false)
{
if (DialogResult.OK == pd.ShowDialog(this))
{
// Send a printer-specific to the printer.
for (int j = 0; j < pd.PrinterSettings.Copies; j++)// send # of copies
RawPrinterHelper.SendStringToPrinter(pd.PrinterSettings.PrinterName, deviceName);
}
}
}
}
Thanks for any help!
WPF fires an event when the application is exiting. I would handle this event, and in that code, I would write any persisted data to a file. First, in App.xaml, start typing "Exit=" in your Application tag. Visual Studio should recommend adding a new event handler - click that option so it wires it up for you. Your app.xaml will look something like:
<Application x:Class="MyWpfApplication.App"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:vm="clr-namespace:MyWpfApplication.ViewModel"
xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
xmlns:ignore="http://www.galasoft.ch/ignore"
StartupUri="MainWindow.xaml"
Exit="Application_Exit"
mc:Ignorable="d ignore">
</Application>
Now go to your app.xaml.cs file and you should see an empty method called Application_Exit. Add code to save the string to a file:
private void Application_Exit(object sender, ExitEventArgs e)
{
string applicationPath = Path.GetFullPath(System.AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory); // the directory that your program is installed in
string saveFilePath = Path.Combine(applicationPath, "printini.txt"); // add a file name to this path. This is your full file path.
File.WriteAllText(saveFilePath, PRINTER_NAME);
}
To load it, you can use the same process to handle the Startup event - your code for the empty method it wires up would look like this:
private void Application_Startup(object sender, StartupEventArgs e)
{
string applicationPath = Path.GetFullPath(System.AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory); // the directory that your program is installed in
string saveFilePath = Path.Combine(applicationPath, "printini.txt"); // add a file name to this path. This is your full file path.
if (File.Exists(saveFilePath))
{
PRINTER_NAME = File.ReadAllText(saveFilePath);
}
else
{
// prompt the user for a printer...
}
}
Related
I created an WPF application the use a viewer for file I set the application as default application for this application (filename.myapp), now if I try to open the file it will start the application but I need to know how to get this file location and name so I can use it in the application.
If I understood your question correctly you want to know the name of the file that was double-clicked/opened with your application associated.
It is the second item in the args array of your start up event:
private void Application_Startup(object sender, StartupEventArgs e)
{
...
if(e.Args.Length > 1)
{
var filename = e.Args[1]);
}
...
}
This is how I did it in the end:
var args = Environment.GetCommandLineArgs();
if (args.Length > 1)
{
var fileName= args[1];
}
I have a C# WPF application which I want to be able to open from another existing application, which was written in VB.net. As far as the c# application goes, I think I know how to get command line parameters that are passed to it two different ways, which I got while researching google and using others' answers.
App.xaml Header
<Application x:Class="ChallengeHandler.App"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:local="clr-namespace:ChallengeHandler"
Startup="Application_Startup">
App.xaml.cs Method 1
private void Application_Startup(object sender, StartupEventArgs e)
{
string[] args = Environment.GetCommandLineArgs();
if (args.Length < 1)
{
MessageBox.Show("No parameter provided. Failed to run.");
Shutdown();
}
else
{
MainWindow wnd = new MainWindow(args[0]);
wnd.Show();
}
}
The above method will result in the application opening but none of the data, which relies on the parameter, is populated. So the comboboxes and stuff in the views are just empty. That fails.
App.xaml.cs Method 2
private void Application_Startup(object sender, StartupEventArgs e)
{
if (e.Args.Length < 1)
{
MessageBox.Show("No parameter provided. Failed to run.");
Shutdown();
}
else
{
MainWindow wnd = new MainWindow(e.Args[0]);
wnd.Show();
}
}
This method just shows the error messagebox each time, as the args is empty.
I have a feeling the issue is when I'm trying to open the application from the VB.NET application and pass the string parameter to the c# app from there. But I am out of ideas on how to pass a string like a command line parameter from the VB.net code.
Calling from a VB.net Application
Dim sPath As String = Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.Programs) + "\Microsoft\ChallengeHandler.appref-ms"
Dim pHelp As New ProcessStartInfo
If System.IO.File.Exists(sPath) Then
pHelp.FileName = sPath
pHelp.Arguments = "097"
pHelp.UseShellExecute = True
pHelp.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Normal
Dim proc As Process = Process.Start(pHelp)
End If
I have tried the VB code without the
pHelp.UseShellExecute = True
pHelp.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Normal
with no avail; I added them in the hope the shell execute would force the parameters as command line parameters. I have also tried this in VB:
2nd VB Method
Dim sPath As String = Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.Programs) + "\Microsoft\ChallengeHandler.appref-ms"
If System.IO.File.Exists(sPath) Then
System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(sPath, "097")
End If
Any insight would be GREATLY appreciated! Thanks.
I see you're using "\Microsoft\ChallengeHandler.appref-ms". This is a ClickOnce application. Getting the parameters for a ClickOnce application is completely different from a normal application. You need to use ApplicationDeployment.CurrentDeployment.ActivationUri.Query and HttpUtility.ParseQueryString for retrieving them.
I believe to send them across you'll have to add them to the launch url by using "?param=value". I've only tried launching it from a web page, so I'm unsure if this is how it works.
The method you're currently using is valid for normal application. If you can locate the exe and launch that directly, you should be fine.
I created 2 projects: Line command C# invoker and a WPF Test application;
The invoker code on Program.cs:
namespace WPFInvoker
{
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
Process.Start(#"C:\Users\...\bin\Debug\WPF_Test.exe", "example_parameter");
}
}
}
Then on the WPF App.xaml I have the startup event app_Startup and the main form MainWindow.xaml:
<Application x:Class="WPF_Test.App"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:local="clr-namespace:WPF_Test"
Startup="app_Startup"
StartupUri="MainWindow.xaml">
<Application.Resources>
</Application.Resources>
</Application>
And the App.xaml.cs code is:
namespace WPF_Test
{
/// <summary>
/// Interaction logic for App.xaml
/// </summary>
public partial class App : Application
{
void app_Startup(object sender, StartupEventArgs e)
{
if (e.Args != null && e.Args.Length > 0)
{
MessageBox.Show(e.Args[0]);
}
else
{
MessageBox.Show("e.Args is null");
}
}
}
}
When I open the WPFTest.exe with a double click shows a MessageBox with the message "e.Args is null":
Application without parameters
But if I open the WPFTest application through WPFInvoker:
Application with parameter
Finally I close the MessageBox and the MainWindow.xaml its shown.
I created my WPF single instance app by using the Microsoft.VisualBasic dll method. However I'm facing some difficulty to get the file path for second clicked file which associated with my app.
For example, I have two file "First.my" and "Second.my". When I click on file "First.my" it will launch my app and pop up message box to show "First.my" file path. Since my app is single instance app, when I click on file "Second.my" it should show the file path for "Second.my" but it still showing the file path for "First.my"..
Does anyone know how to pass the associate file path in single instance app?
Below is my code:
class WindowsFormsApp : Microsoft.VisualBasic.ApplicationServices.WindowsFormsApplicationBase
{
private App _wpfApp;
public WindowsFormsApp()
{
IsSingleInstance = true;
}
protected override bool OnStartup(Microsoft.VisualBasic.ApplicationServices.StartupEventArgs e)
{
MessageBox.Show("First File");
//Get 1st click file path
GetFilePath();
_wpfApp = new App();
_wpfApp.Run();
return false;
}
protected override void OnStartupNextInstance(Microsoft.VisualBasic.ApplicationServices.StartupNextInstanceEventArgs e)
{
MessageBox.Show("Second File");
//Get 2nd click file path
GetFilePath();
}
protected void GetFilePath()
{
if (AppDomain.CurrentDomain.SetupInformation.ActivationArguments.ActivationData != null &&
AppDomain.CurrentDomain.SetupInformation.ActivationArguments.ActivationData.Length > 0)
{
var filePath = AppDomain.CurrentDomain.SetupInformation.ActivationArguments.ActivationData[0];
var uri = new Uri(filePath);
MessageBox.Show(uri.LocalPath);
}
}
}
I have created setup of my application using Windows Installer.
Now I want to Start application at Windows Start-Up and move it system minimize tray as i don't want to display GUI(View) at Windows Start-Up.
I have searched in Google and i found to use Registry key But that is not enough for me as i also want to move to system minimize tray and application run.
My purpose to do it is, user do not feels annoying when application starts every time when he/she starts system.
Can anyone have answer?
Thanks..
In your application, add an event handler for the FrameworkElement.Loaded event. In that handler, add the following code:
WindowState = WindowState.Minimized;
This will minimise the application when it starts.
To start the application when the computer starts, you'll need to add your program into Windows Scheduler and set it to run at startup. You can find out more on the Schedule a task page at MSDN.
You also have to set this property to remove it from the taskbar
ShowInTaskbar= false;
Maybe this answer is late, but I still want to write it down to help those who haven't found solutions yet.
Firstly you need to add a function to minimize your app to tray when it autostarts as system startup.
In your App.xaml file, change the original StartupUri=... to Startup="App_Startup" as below. App_Startup is your function name and can be changed.
<Application x:Class="Yours.App"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
Startup="App_Startup">
In your App.xaml.cs file. Add the function below:
public partial class App : Application
{
private void App_Startup(object sender, StartupEventArgs e)
{
// Process command line args
var isAutoStart = false;
for (int i = 0; i != e.Args.Length; ++i)
{
if (e.Args[i] == "/AutoStart")
{
isAutoStart = true;
}
}
// Create main application window, starting minimized if specified
MainWindow mainWindow = new MainWindow();
if (isAutoStart)
{
mainWindow.WindowState = WindowState.Minimized;
}
mainWindow.OnAutoStart();
}
}
In your MainWindow.xaml.cs, add a function as below:
public void OnAutoStart()
{
if (WindowState == WindowState.Minimized)
{
//Must have this line to prevent the window start locatioon not being in center.
WindowState = WindowState.Normal;
Hide();
//Show your tray icon code below
}
else
{
Show();
}
}
Then you should set you app utostart as system start.
Now if you have a switch to decide whether you app to autostart as system start, you can just add the function below as your switch status changed event function.
private void SwitchAutoStart_OnToggled(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
const string path = #"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run";
var key = Registry.CurrentUser.OpenSubKey(path, true);
if (key == null) return;
if (SwitchAutoStart.IsOn)
{
key.SetValue("Your app name", System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location + " /AutoStart");
}
else
{
key.DeleteValue("Your app name", false);
}
}
If you want to automatically start the application for all users on Windows startup, just replace the forth line with
RegistryKey key = Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey(path, true);
^_^
This is a weird one! I am working on an application that reads vCard files, which contain contact etc. information for a person. Each file may contain separate 'sections' that each contain the details for one person, which are separated by BEGIN:VCARD [data here] END:VCARD.
To enable my users to view all of the different details, I've allowed my program to populate the textboxes in my app with the details and then open a new Window and do this with that one, but for each of the different sections in the file.
The problem comes about when my program opens when a vCard file has been double clicked in Explorer. It keeps looping through the vCard. I don't know what to do, but below is my problematic code:
public void readVcard(string fname)//Reads vCard and then loops through sections
{
try
{
using (StreamReader r = new StreamReader(fname))
{
string input = File.ReadAllText(fname);//read through file
String[] vArray = input.Split(new string[] { "BEGIN:VCARD" }, StringSplitOptions.None);
int i;
for (i = 1; i < vArray.Length; i++)
{
MainWindow a = new MainWindow();
a.parser(vArray[i]); //Parser is the function that populates the app
a.Show();
}
return;
}
}...
This function is called from here:
void MainWindow_Loaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)//Processes a file when opened externally
{
if (Application.Current.Properties["ArbitraryArgName"] != null)
{
string fname = Application.Current.Properties["ArbitraryArgName"].ToString();
readVcard(fname);
}
}
If anyone could help, it would be greatly appreciated.
I think that Artyom is on the right track.
Every time you create another MainWindow and load it you will be getting the current applications argurment and jumping back in to readVcard, which will process the same vCard that you are already processing and open yet another MainWindow which will continue the process.
Consider moving all of the code you have inside of MainWindow_Loaded() to the Startup event for your application. That way it will only get called once when your program first loads, instead of every time you create a new window.
To do this you need to register for the event in your App.xaml file like so:
<Application x:Class="MyProgram.App"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
Startup="Application_Startup">
</Application>
And then in the code behind App.xaml you put your code for reading the vCard. Like this:
namespace MyProgram
{
/// <summary>
/// Interaction logic for App.xaml
/// </summary>
public partial class App : Application
{
private void Application_Startup(object sender, StartupEventArgs e)
{
if (Application.Current.Properties["ArbitraryArgName"] != null)
{
string fname = Application.Current.Properties["ArbitraryArgName"].ToString();
readVcard(fname);
}
}
}
}
When you create and show new MainWindow (a.Show()), the MainWindow_Loaded event fires again and it again calls a readVcard method. So there is an infinite loop.
Or may be not really infinite, because, I belive, some time later a StackOverflowException may happen.
You just need to review startup logic, so readVcard will launch not in the MainWindow_Loaded event, but, for example, in the Main method (in program.cs file). Or you may add some flag, which will be set when readVcard method first called.
I get it! I've now got the following code in App.xaml.cs:
public partial class App : Application
{
protected override void OnStartup(StartupEventArgs e)
{
if (e.Args != null && e.Args.Count() > 0)
{
this.Properties["ArbitraryArgName"] = e.Args[0];
}
base.OnStartup(e);
if (Application.Current.Properties["ArbitraryArgName"] != null)
{
string fname = Application.Current.Properties["ArbitraryArgName"].ToString();
MainWindow mw = new MainWindow();
mw.readVcard(fname);
}
}
}
It works fine! Thanks everyone. BTW the following blog contains the command-line info I originally used if anyone needs it: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/avip/archive/2008/10/27/wpf-supporting-command-line-arguments-and-file-extensions.aspx.